The present invention relates to a control system for controlling a plurality of predetermined operations belonging to a common operation category by means of a plurality of control units.
A CD (compact disc or optical disc) player 50 and a remote controller 60 thereof, as being one example of the above mentioned control system in the prior art, are described below with reference to FIG. 1.
In the remote controller 60, an operator operates an operation device 61 (for example, pushes a key of the operation device 61), the operation device 61 then providing an operation signal to a control device 62 correspondingly. The control device 62 then provides a control signal to an execution device 53 in the CD player 50 correspondingly to the operation signal. The execution device 53 then executes a first predetermined CD-playing operation in accordance with the control signal. In the CD player 50, an operator operates an operation device 51 (for example, pushes a key of the operation device 51), the operation device 51 then providing an operation signal to a control device 51 correspondingly. A control device 52 then provides a control signal to the above mentioned execution device 53 correspondingly to the operation signal. The execution device 53 then executes a second predetermined CD-playing operation in accordance with the control signal.
Both the operation devices 51 and 61 respectively have keys (buttons). Both control devices 52 and 62 respectively comprise microcomputers. The above-mentioned keys in the operation device 61 in the remote controller 80 are used for the above mentioned first CD-playing operation. On the other hand, the keys in the operation device 51 in the CD player are used for the above-mentioned second CD-playing operation. These first and second CD-playing operations respectively executed by the execution device 53 respectively belong to a common "CD-playing" operation category. Further, the operations may be different from each other intentionally.
One example of such operations belonging to a common CD-playing operation category and being different from one another is described below. The control device 62 in the remote controller 60 alone has a programmable playback function by which tracks are played in a desirable order in accordance with a programmed sequence, the order being different from that by which the tunes were previously recorded on the CD. On the other hand, the control device 52 in the CD player 50 does not have this programmable playback function. In this example, the above-mentioned keys on the operation devices 51 and 61 are respectively used for the playing the tracks recorded on the CD.
In the above example, when the "play" key on the operation device 61 of the remote controller 60 is operated by the operator, the above-mentioned programmed playback is carried out by the execution device 53 in accordance with the control signal provided by the control device 62 of the remote controller 60 having the above mentioned programmable playback function. On the other hand, when the operation device 51 of the CD player is operated by the operator, the tunes recorded on the CD are reproduced in the order by which they were recorded originally.
There may occur a mis-operation such that the operator operates the operation device 51 of the CD player 50 instead of operating the operation device 61 of the remote controller 60. That is, the operator expects the above-mentioned programmed playback operation, however the tunes are reproduced in the order in which they were originally recorded. Such an undesirable condition may be troublesome when this undesirable condition occurs in, for example, a broadcasting station. In fact, for the purpose of arrangement of programs in the broadcasting station, a CD player having various, complicated functions is currently being developed. Thus, the above-mentioned undesirable condition may causes various, complicated troublesome results.